(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for designing composite materials and more particularly to a method for predicting electro-magnetic shielding performance of a composite material for use in a corrosive marine environment.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that material manufacturers are attempting to develop composite materials that maintain some of the characteristics of metals in order to substitute composite electrical enclosures for existing metal ones. In particular, these characteristics include conductivity and EM shielding abilities. Often, materials did not pass EM testing in the lab or passed in the lab but failed in the field. Such trial and error methods are costly and time consuming. In the past no electromagnetic (EM) model existed for prediction of the EM performance of conductive and semi-conductive fillers that are added to a basic matrix material such as resin to enhance its EM properties. Also, conductive fillers often produced galvanic corrosion when the composite was used in a marine environment, especially when placed in contact with metals further away on the galvanic chart.